I’m free! I start to swim as fast as I can, pumping my tail like my life depends on it. I glance back for just a moment and see two figures swimming after me, Sam and the other merman.
If James and Roy are watching me on their sonar, what will they think is going on? Will they realize I’ve escaped? I need to swim out of their view as fast as possible, before they can follow me.
My body is weak from days without food and water, so I can’t swim as fast as normal, and the merman quickly catches up to me, keeping pace. But Sam gets further and further behind as our powerful tails propel us through the water.
“This way.” The merman points, veering off in a different direction as soon as Sam is no longer visible. My underwater vision is better than his, so I know he’s lost sight of us, too.
I follow the merman, but he’s stronger and faster than me, and soon I start to fall behind. He slows down some so I can catch up. I want to stop and rest but not until I’m positive James and his crew can’t find me. Eventually, though, my body flounders.
“I can’t go any further,” I gasp, my body heaving as I suck in deep gill-fulls of water. I flip to my back and throw out my arms, closing my eyes and letting the water cradle me as I float.
The merman swims to a stop and turns around. “Are you okay?”
“Yes, I just haven’t had food or water in days, and my body is weak.”
His brow wrinkles with concern under his long, dark brown hair, his bright blue eyes clouding. He’s very handsome, with strong features and even stronger muscles. His tail is the longest and most impressive I’ve ever seen with a wide fin that’s twice the size of mine. He reminds me a bit of all the guys — large muscles like Gio’s, perfect features like Avery’s, intelligent confidence like Liam’s, and a happy-go-lucky smile like Jude’s. He seems younger, though, maybe still a teen.
“What’s your name?” he asks, surprising me. How does he not know who I am? I’m suddenly reminded that I don’t recognize him, either, and I thought I knew every merman in the shoal.
“Princess Coral, granddaughter of King Aegeus. Yours?”
His eyes grow wide for a moment like he’s surprised. “I’m Llyr,” he says with a broad smile. “Stay here, I’ll catch you something.”
He swims away with a powerful swish before I have a chance to contemplate this and returns a few moments later with a huge fish, bigger than his thick arms. I chuckle and shake my head.
“How am I supposed to eat all that?”
He shrugs and gives a wry grin. “You said you haven’t eaten in days. I figured you were starving.”
I dig in to the tasty meal, feeling my strength grow with each bite. I eat more than I expected to, leaving just a small bit left over.
“Feeling better now?” He wipes a few fish scales off my cheek.
“Yes, thank you. For everything. You saved my life.” My voice grows serious.
His face mimics my tone, and he places an arm across his waist and gives a small bow. “It was my honor to rescue you, Princess Coral. Perhaps my queen will reward me with a promotion.”
“Your queen?” The word stuns me. Has Grandfather died? Even if he has, how would a mermaid have been chosen to rule? With the king’s only heir gone, Kai and his brother, the highest ranking mermen, should’ve fought for the title.
“Yeah, Queen Callisto, the ruler of my shoal.”
“Callisto? I’ve never heard that name before. What happened to King Aegeus?” I can’t help the quiver in my lips.
Llyr shrugs his broad shoulders. “Nothing, as far as I know, but you would know better than me since I’m not from your shoal.”
His words are like the sunrise, shedding light on a world that’s been hidden from me but so bright I’m blinded. “What do you mean, you’re not from my shoal? Are you saying there’s more than one shoal?”
He looks at me like I’m a confused child, one eyebrow raised and a smirk on his face. “Well, yeah. There are lots of shoals. You thought yours was the only one?”
I put my hands on my hips and flick my tail nervously, frightening off a nearby fish. “Well, yes! If there are other shoals full of merfolk, why have I never met any of them? Why have they never visited our shoal? And why has no one ever mentioned them?”
“Your shoal has been off-limits for 20 cycles. King Aegeus barred entry, and no one’s been allowed in since. I guess you didn’t know that either.”
I shake my head at the unbelievability of it all. How can this be? How could I not have known this? I lived in the shoal my entire life and never heard tell of merfolk from other shoals or a ruling that kept them out of ours.
Suddenly, I realize this was just another way that Grandfather controlled us. Maybe the sea witch did curse us, but not the way we thought. Maybe the curse was that we would believe Grandfather’s lies! Did he erase the knowledge of other shoals from everyone’s mind so that we would believe his was the only way for merfolk to live?
The thought stabs me harder than Sam’s knife ever could, tearing open my heart. What else did Grandfather hide from us? The lies weigh on me like the heaviness of the ocean in the deepest depths. I have to know the truth. I grab Llyr’s arm and look at him.
“Llyr, will you take me to your shoal? Am I allowed to go there? I need to see for myself.”
He smiles at me, a wide, beaming grin that makes him even handsomer, and holds out his hand. “It would be my pleasure, Princess Coral. You would be an honored guest. But it is a long journey from here. I was out exploring when I heard your song. Are you strong enough to endure the trip?”
I know he means physically, but it’s the emotional toll I’m more worried about. My mind flits to thoughts of the men I love. I spent the last several days thinking of nothing but escaping so I could return to them, and I have to believe they’re still looking for me. I know they love me, they’ve told me in a million different ways. I’m sure they’re concerned about me. If they feel even a drop of the agony I’ve felt being separated from them, how can I prolong their pain, and mine?
But if I don’t go with Llyr now, how will I ever know the truth about my kind? The decision drives the knife deeper into my heart, cleaving it in two. There’s something I have to ask before I can decide.
“Llyr, if I visit your shoal, would someone there be able to guide me back to the land?”
Llyr tilts his head at me again and gives a wry smile. I think he’s resisting the urge to laugh at me. “Of course, Princess. I’ll take you there myself, if you’d like.”
“You know the way to the land? But you’re a merman! Only mermaids go on land.”
He stares at me oddly and chuckles. “Not where I come from, Princess.”
My mouth falls open as I gape at him, and a million questions rush through my mind. I let my thoughts flow free so he can hear them, and he chuckles at the flood of them all.
“I think it will be easier for you to understand once you see it, Princess. Do you want to come with me?”
I try to ignore the stabbing ache of guilt at the thought of any more time away from the guys, praying to the gods that eventually I’ll make my way back to them. But for now, this is what I need to do. I have to see the truth for myself.
Taking a deep breath, I nod my head and link my arm through his. He flicks his tail, propelling us out into deeper water.
To be continued in…
Thrust into an intriguing world of merfolk she never knew existed, Coral is awed and inspired by their dual existence. And after unexpectedly finding the one person who knows the truth about her past, Coral realizes she’s lived most of her life under a spell of lies.
Determined to free her people from the deception that’s held them captive, Coral returns to her underwater home. But she soon realizes that defeating a powerful stronghold is more than one mermaid can handle.
Lucky to have escaped with her life, Coral returns to the land and the men she loves. But when duty calls her once again, Coral must decide once and for all between her heart a
nd her destiny.
GET YOUR COPY NOW
1
Either this place is a fantasy, or my entire life has been a lie. I know which one it is, but I can’t help but stare in awe and disbelief at the sight before me.
My tail still flicks beneath me, the iridescent scales glimmering in the soft, diffuse light coming from above, seawater still flows around me and through my gills, buoying my body and spirit, and the merman I’m holding onto is firm and solid and full of life. Everything around me is real, but I’m still in a wonderland.
In the center is a palace not unlike the one I called home — tall, prominent, regal. But unlike the piled stone walls of my childhood home, the identical, rectangular bricks of this palace look like something I’d see in the human world, the architecture and craftsmanship precise and sophisticated. Surrounding it in linear rings are hundreds of smaller homes, almost as perfect, and they’re lit from within! It’s almost as if a human city was submerged, and the residents grew tails so they could survive.
Hundreds of merfolk swim in and out of the homes, some visiting one another or heading off to catch their dinners, others coming back with passels of fish, and merlings playing in the open areas and greeting their parents with eager smiles. The only thing unusual about all of them is the fact that I don’t recognize any of their faces.
But more compelling is the stream of merfolk swimming towards the shoal from someplace off in the distance. I watch them with curiosity for several moments before finally turning to Llyr. “What have they been doing out there, and why are they all coming back at the same time?”
Llyr quirks an eyebrow at me and smiles. “Come with me, I’ll show you.”
He flaps his long, powerful tail, his long, bronze hair flowing behind him as he swims alongside the procession of merfolk going in the opposite direction. I quickly swim after him, trying my best to keep up. Merfolk notice us, their eyes glancing back and forth from Llyr to me, probably wondering who I am. Llyr doesn’t pause long enough for anyone to ask him, though, just speeds on by, an eager smile on his handsome face.
As we get farther away from the shoal, I can see two, large shadows in the distance, one in the shape of a boat. Llyr swims up to the other one, a rectangular structure floating on the surface. We ascend towards it, breaking the surface right next to a large, flat, white deck. A man with wrinkled, tan skin and curly, graying hair jumps up at the sight of us, smiling widely.
“Hey Galon! How goes it?” Llyr pulls himself up to the edge of the deck, propping his crossed arms on the ledge. I bob in the water beside him.
“Llyr! Good to see you! You know the ferry doesn’t leave for another two hours, right?”
“Yeah, yeah, I don’t want to interrupt your dinnertime. I just wanted to show my friend here our awesome setup.”
“Made a new friend, eh? Where’d you find this one?” Galon nods towards me and winks.
“Rescued her from a human.” Llyr shrugs like it was no big deal and hefts himself up onto the deck then flips over so he’s sitting on his tail, his wide, shimmery fin hanging off the edge, flinging water droplets with each flick.
Galon smirks and shakes his head. “You always did like to play hero, didn’t you? What happened?”
Llyr reaches for me, grabbing my hands and pulling me up. I shimmy onto the deck next to him, my own tail noticeably smaller compared to Llyr’s.
“Well, I don’t know how the human got her, but he had her tethered to him. She was doing a pretty good job fighting him, but I heard her song and knew she needed some help.”
I can’t help grinning at the offhand compliment.
“How did you end up like that?” Llyr turns to me with a quizzical look on his face.
“I was exploring a shipwreck, and he found me and captured me. He was a treasure diver, and he and his crew mates threatened to expose me if I didn’t help them find more gold.”
Galon grabs some towels from a nearby shelf and tosses them to us. I start to pat myself dry then suddenly realize that even though I’ve escaped, my secret is out. Will James, Sam, and Roy try to find me or other merfolk? Will they tell other humans?
I still my towel and look at Llyr with wide eyes. “Llyr, they know the truth. What if they tell?”
Llyr shrugs and wipes his face with his towel then pulls it away, revealing a calm smile. “Humans have been claiming to see merfolk for thousands of years, but no one has ever proved it. He’ll have a good story to tell his grandkids, but no one will really believe him.”
I hope Llyr is right. I’d hate to think the merfolk were in danger of exposure because of me.
But I’m distracted from my worries by the sight of Llyr’s tail morphing into legs. I know he told me he goes on land, but it’s incredible to watch him shift. I open my mouth to say something, but he starts talking to Galon.
“She’s from Persephone’s Cradle. Can you believe it?” Llyr says, grinning, his bright, white teeth gleaming in his tan skin.
Galon tilts his head and looks at me. “No kidding? Haven’t met anyone from there in nigh on 20 cycles. I didn’t think anyone ever left that shoal.”
“Yeah, well if you think that’s something, guess who she is.”
Galon tilts his head and stares at me for a moment, rolling his lips back and forth. “She looks a bit familiar, but can’t say I recognize her.”
Llyr’s smile gets impossibly wider. “She’s King Aegeus’ granddaughter, Princess Coral.”
Galon gawks at me as I pat my tail dry. “Well, call me a blobfish! I’ll be damned.”
Before Galon can ask me any questions, Llyr wraps a towel around his waist and holds out a hand to lift me to my sprouting feet. “Come on, I want to show you around. We’ll catch you later, okay Galon? I’m going to give Coral a tour.”
Galon nods and lifts a hand in goodbye as Llyr drags me into the floating building. Inside, it reminds me of the shopping mall Avery took me to on land, only smaller. They’re even playing human music. Off to one side, there is a large store full of clothing and other human items, and another section looks like a restaurant with a counter and several tables full of merfolk eating what smells like hamburgers and French fries. Large windows look out over a wide stretch of open ocean, but I can see land in the distance, the square tops of buildings and the green fronds of palm trees sticking out of the crescent of land. Another small area of the building looks like a business center, with desk and computers and filing cabinets.
A few merfolk, sans their tails, wander around, but the space is mostly empty. Rows of metal cabinets line the walls, and I watch a mermaid in a towel carrying a handful of clothes open one of the cabinets and hang the garments inside.
“We call this The Deck. It’s like a way station between our shoal and the human world. From here, you can take the ferry to the mainland. Humans think this is a private resort with an invitation-only membership.” Llyr leads me out a set of wide, glass doors. The sun blazes through them like an orange ball of fire, blinding me to what’s on the other side. When we step through, I shield my eyes with my hand so I can see.
A large, luxury boat floats beside the dock, it’s hull so white and glossy it shines even with the sun behind it, cloaking this side in shadows. Dozens of rectangular, darkened windows line the decks, hinting at what lies inside. The words “Flying Siren Ferries” are painted in bright red script along the side.
“We can’t go aboard right now, but the ferry goes back and forth five times a day so merfolk can come and go from the city whenever they need.” Llyr gives a wide smile, clearly proud of his shoal’s development.
“Why would they need to do that?” The answer niggles in the back of my brain, but my mind won’t accept it.
“Lots of our merfolk have human jobs, houses, vehicles. They split their time between the shoal and the land.”
His words make me sway on my feet, rocked by the revelation. A chuckle bursts out of me at the thought of how Liam would react if he knew this. He was blown away at the ide
a of mermaids coming to land to mate with humans. What would he think if he knew there might be merfolk living and working right next to him and he never realized it?
It’s obvious that this shoal is totally different from mine, but are the others as advanced? Suddenly, I have to know everything. I grab Llyr’s arm, a little too tightly, and stare at him with demanding eyes.
“Llyr, you said there were other shoals. Does everyone live like this, half on land and half in the sea?”
Llyr must see the distraught look in my eyes, because he gives me a small smile and pats the hand that’s digging into him. I glance down at the sensation and pull my nails from his skin.
“Every shoal is a bit different. The ones farther out to sea don’t spend as much time on land as we do, and a lot of the shoals aren’t as developed as we are. It takes money to build what we have, and not every shoal has the resources to fund it. We just happen to have a few successful businessmen who wanted a way to bridge the divide between the two worlds.”
His words make sense. In just the short time I’ve spent on land, I’ve learned how important money is to human civilization.
“Coral? What’s it like in your shoal? Why has no one seen or heard from anyone there in so many cycles? I take it you don’t have anything like this.” He waves a hand at the luxurious boat and the building behind us.
I shake my head and try to think of a way to explain it to him without revealing Grandfather’s deception. I don’t know why, but I still feel compelled to protect him, even though I’m one of the victims of his lies.
“In my shoal, no one leaves except for mermaids, and then only for a few, short days so they can mate. King Aegeus is very… protective of us.” The curse grandfather placed on us ensured the mermaids always came back to raise their merling in the shoal, or at least, that’s what everyone believes. I think the truth might be even worse.
“Wow, no kidding. I guess that’s why he banned visitors too, huh? He didn’t want anyone tempting you with stories about life on land.”
The Mermaid's Journey_A Reverse Harem Page 20